Dream Concert at the Seoul World Cup Stadium

About an hour before the concert, a storm of noise from was being generated by the fans already waiting inside the Seoul World Cup Stadium. In front of the main entrance where people were being sanitized before being allowed in, there was a small table and some boards covered in post-its. Several fans were walking around and asking passersby to leave a message for Jaebum.

With everything that is going on currently and the measures that the Hottests are taking to keep the issue alive, it was quite a strange feeling to be part of it and actually leave a message. I have no idea whether or not these messages will ever get to him, but I don't think that's important.

Once inside the stadium, it was evident that despite the supposed boycott, there was still a great deal of support for the boys. The fans were making themselves heard, and not just the 2PM fans, but almost every single fan club joined in the chanting during their performance. It was quite a spectacle to hear Jaebum's name being chanted from every corner of the stadium. I hope very much that I have the opportunity to leave another message in the future.

While waiting for the first artists to appear on stage, the MCs - MC Mong, Kim Heechul and Song Ji Hyo appeared and introduced the concert. They announced the names of the artists to perform and the various fan clubs reacted by attempting to cheer the loudest. Super Junior, Girls Generation and BIG BANG got the biggest cheers, while artists such as KARA and Jewelry received a much milder reception.

T-Ara and Supernova came together to perform TTL.Listen.2 for the first performance of the concert. They were dressed in white and gold costumes with vivid yellow lighting making them really glow in the early evening. While I knew what to expect from the group, I was quite surprised that they were as strong vocally as they were. The choreography appeared to flow very well also, so one can only assume they had spent a long time working on it. It was the kind of performance that would made me want to listen to the song when I got home.

One of the artists that I was most looking forward to see perform was f(x) and their performance of LaChaTa. Also, they performed their new song from the "LG Chocolate" commercials, Chocolate Love. Both performances were beyond my expectations in terms of energy and stage presence. Having previously only seen the girls perform on TV, it was very entertaining to see them at semi close range on stage and watch Amber and Sulli, my personal favorites, strut round the stage. For a newly debuted group, they have a great deal of confidence and it showed in their performance. Both LaChaTa and Chocolate Love were executed flawlessly and the girls looked good in their simple, black attire.

Chae Yeon was the next to perform and despite not having any official fan club presence as far as I could see, the crowd responded well and cheered her during the performance. She performed a remix version of Shake first, followed by a crowd favorite, 2 Of Us. Shake wasn't a song that I enjoyed on release, but watching it being performed on various music shows and then in person at the Dream Concert has made me appreciate that it's a decent song with a catchy beat. It lends itself to being performed live with strong crowd participation and it was evident, as the male fans were particularly vocal. Chae Yeon was dressed simply, but joined with her backing dancers and DJ to give the performance something extra.

It's widely known that Wheesung is a huge vocal talent in the Korean music industry and having never heard him perform live before, I was looking forward to his performance. He began by singing the title track for his new album, and then Insomnia, which the crowd loved. Following this performance, Park Hyo Shin appeared and sang After Love from his new album. A number of the fans around me questioned why he was only given one song to sing, but this was soon answered when Wheesung returned to the stage and joined him in a duet of Michael Jackson's Heal The World. This seems to be a popular choice for artists to perform in tribute of the late Michael Jackson and this performance was extremely impressive both vocally and in terms of crowd interaction. Regardless of balloon colour, all fans were singing along and it was probably one of the most powerful performances of the night.

4Minute gave a performance full of energy as usual and despite being covered in black and silver, still managed to stand out on stage. They continued their promotions for MUZIK and spiced things up with a remix version of the song. Tthe 4Minute fan club is quite small, but it didn't seem to matter because as soon as the music started, the crowd reacted and seemed to enjoy the song. Vocally, the girls were strong and their choreography was solid as ever. HyunA still managed to stand out ahead of everyone else.

After a short message from the MCs, SHINee joined them on stage and performed a remix version of Juliette, followed by the original version of the song that started it all, Replay. I was particularly please that they performed Juliette, because unlike a lot of other fans, I think it's a good quality pop song which comes across very well when sung live. However, I was a little disappointed with the costumes they wore. They didn't seem to be dressed for performing, but rather as though it were just a night out. Given the costumes they've worn in the past, I expected a little more from them. That being said, the temperature had started to drop by this point and they were probably concerned about staying warm.

After a series of upbeat, high tempo songs, it was back to the ballads with 2AM performing A Friend's Confession and This Song. This was my first time seeing them perform live and I was impressed with their vocals, which were steady and powerful, and the crowd seemed to enjoy the singing. I think anything to do with 2PM that day would have brought a powerful crowd response.

Following 2AM was my favorite performance of the night, SUPER GIRL by Super Junior M. I had seen Super Junior previously on a number of occasions, but this was my first time seeing the Chinese contingent as Super Junior M. The large number of ELF supporters were cheering and the entire crowd was really getting behind them and singing along to the lyrics. Usually when watching Super Junior, I find that Donghae stands out the most, but during this performance, it seemed as if Chinese member Henry was stealing the limelight. His dancing seemed to have greater energy and the other members were as energetic as I had ever seen them.

The stadium exploded with noise when 2PM appeared on stage. They performed Again&Again and I Hate You with everyone in the crowd singing along as they did. An interesting note is that during the performances, they left the space that would usually be inhabited by Jaebom open, presumably as a mark of respect to the absent leader. Despite the controversy surrounding them and the lack of a leader, the boys did incredibly well and performed impeccably.

Jewelry were the first act to be given more than two songs to perform. They started with Bounce and then a remix version of Vari2ty. Both these tracks from their newest album are very strong live songs and I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of vocals from them. Dressed in black, white and silver and dowsed in vivid yellow and pink lighting, it was quite a spectacle and one that the crowd seemed to enjoy. After the first two performances, the girls addressed their fans and asked if they'd like to see some more. An encore was called and they performed the now classic, One More Time.

The MCs addressed the crowd once more after Jewelry's performance before introducing KARA. Though KARA hadn't received much vocal support from the crowd when the artists were being called at the beginning of the concert, this changed when the music for Mister started and the girls began their infamous dance routine. There were definitely a greater proportion of females to males in the stadium, but the men certainly made themselves heard during the KARA performance. Dressed in simple, white tank tops and blue, sparkly pants, the girls stood out on stage and looked wonderful. They followed Mister by performing Wanna, again to a rowdy response from the crowd.

MC Mong was next up with Indian Boy and Love DNA from his new album. I had hoped that he might perform Horror Show from the repackage album, but it was still too early after its release. That being said, Indian Boy is an amazing track to hear live because of the energy and fun that he shows with the rest of his team. Needless to say, the crowd joined in and it was the first song to create a 'fun' atmosphere around the stadium.

Love Rain by Kim Tae Woo is a song that had been released a number of weeks before, but one that I hadn't listened to properly. I can now appreciate that Kim Tae Woo has an incredible voice and his performance at the Dream Concert was one of the best vocal performances of the night. At the end of the song, MC Mong returned to the stage and they performed a duet medley of I Love You, Oh Thank You and So Fresh. Their differing sounds and styles melded together to create a stunning performance of three songs that I had never heard before.

One of the main attractions at any event would be BIG BANG, and even more so because of G-Dragon's recent solo activities. Somewhat unexpectedly, G-Dragon arrived on stage alone and performed Heartbreaker, before being joined by Taeyang, TOP and Seungri to perform an acoustic version of A Fool's Only Tears and a fan favorite, Lies. Everyone was expecting Daesung to appear on stage, but when they began the performance without him, a number of fans presumed the worst - that he had appeared unfit to perform. Thankfully, this was not the case and mid way through A Fool's Only Tears, Daesung appeared on the stairs and was cheered on by everyone in the stadium. Despite their somewhat demure uniforms, it was still a magnificent sight to see them together again.

After the noise of the crowd died down, Girls Generation walked on and performed Tell Me Your Wish and Gee - both performances were very well received by the fans. Not only did they make a lot of noise when the girls came out, but they began shouting their names at the top of their voices throughout the performance. The noise only increased when the girls started Gee. Having seen Girls Generation on a number of occasions, I'm constantly surprised at the quality and finish of their performances.

With the invention of the 2NE1 fan club Black Jacks, there was an even greater expectation than usual and the girls did not disappoint. Dressed in their own unique style, they performed I Don't Care and their debut song, Fire. The entire YG section of the crowd went wild for them and a great many other fans were making noise for the girls too. I noticed a lot of the male members of the crowd were shouting for Dara and Bom, but everyone was being cheered on. After their performance, they left the stage very quickly, which seems to be the style of YG artists these days.

By this time, it was dark and a little cold. This didn't stop the crowd, and especially the sea of blue at the rear of the stadium from creating an immense wall of noise when Super Junior came on stage. I've previously mentioned that Super Junior M were given huge support from the crowd, but ELF went all out and screamed for each and every one of the members on stage. As Heechul was also performing duties as an MC that night, MC Mong introduced them and they proceeded to sing SORRY SORRY and It's You. Following in the footsteps of BIG BANG, Super Junior were wearing all black and dark grey with blue back lighting. As with all SM Entertainment artists, the performance was well choreographed and polished. Despite the cold, the vocals were strong and rich.

Once Super Junior had finished their performance, they left the stage, only to return shortly after with the rest of the SM Entertainment family, including f(x), SHINee and Girls Generation to perform Let's Go On A Trip from a previous SM Summer album. The performance was a lot of fun, with the artists filling the stage and not standing in set groups. The crowd was treated to the SHINee boys walking around and interacting with their elders as well as some 'sisterly love' between Jessica and her sister, Krystal.

Once the song was over, the rest of the artists, minus BIG BANG and 2NE1 came back on stage and thanked the crowd for their support and wished us a safe journey home. A lot of fans had already begun to leave in an attempt to beat the inevitable traffic, but it really was a futile effort because with the station being as small as it is, there is always a problem with overcrowding on the trains. However, I view this as part of the concert experience and it did nothing to take away from what was an exceptional concert. As I write this report, I am waiting on my tickets for G-Dragon's 'Shine A Light' solo concert in December and I will do my best to bring you yet another concert report.